Motor-fluid governor.



vG. A. WELD.

IVIOTOH FLUID GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, 1914.

V1 ,245,648. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

GEORGE A. wELn, or wincHEsTEr'., MASSACHUSETTS.

MGTOR-*FLUID GOVERNOR.

specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, V1917.

Application filed February 12, 191e. Serial No. 818,319.

T0 all 'whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WELD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lVinchester, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor- Fluid Governors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a device for controlling the opening and closing of valves which are operated by pressure fluids, and for performing analogous offices in admitting and shutting off the working fluid for any sort of motor, whether a diaphragm motor for operating valves, or a motive appliance of any other sort, the device itself being automatic and being under the control of a temperature or pressure operated apparatus. More particularly the invention relates to that class of governor equipped with valves adapted to open and close to permit or prevent passage of the working fluid, and the main object of the invention is to provide the governor with means by which simultaneous opening of both or all of the working valves is made impossible, and it is insured that one of the valves must close before the other can open. This Object is accomplished in the present embodiment of the invention by a particular arrangement and construction of mechanical elements, but I declare that I do not limit the invention, at least the broader aspects of the invention, to mechanical elementsalone for securing this object. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my improved governor in detail and have shown two of the main uses to which it is applicable. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the governor.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the governor in combination with a thermostat and with a valve of which it controls the operation.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view ofthe governor used in combinationwith 'a pressurecontrolled means for eecting its operation.

Fig. Ll is a sectional view of a modified construction of the governor.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of another form of g .f'ernor. Y

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Describing the details 'ofl construction of the form of governor shown in Fig. 1, the

same comprises lirst a casing or shell consistingof a central pai-tor body 1, valve casings 2 and 3 which may be called respectively the inlet valve casingand the relief valve casing, because the rst contains an inlet valve and the second a reliefvalve, a cap or end wall 4e detachably Secured to the casing 2 and an end wall 5 on the casing 3. These parts are preferably provided with complemental threaded nipples and sockets whereby they may be detachably -connected with fluid tight joints. The body 1 incloses a chamber 6, the valve casing 2 incloses'chamber 7', and the casing 3 incloses a. chamber 8. In the chamber 7 is an inlet valve 9 which is pressed by a spring 10 toward a seat 11 formed on the end of a thimble 0r tube 12 having a tight fit within the threaded nipple or neck 13 of the body 1. Said valve has a steml 14 having a sliding lit in a sleeve 15 in the end of the casing 2, whereby the valve 9 is guided and positioned with respect tothe seat 11. A second stem 16 runs from the valve 9 through the thimble or sleeve 11 into the chamber 1. There is suHicient free space between the stem 16 and the walls of the thimble to allow free flow of working fluid when the valve 9 is unseated. A nipple or pipe connection 17 communicates with the chamber 7, a pipe or pipe connection 18 communicates with the chamber 6, and a third pipe or connection 19 opens from the chamber S. Connection 17 is an inlet for the working fluid, connection 18 is an outlet for the :duid to the part or motor which it opi crates, and connection 19 constitutesa waste or dripfoutlet to permit relief of the operating fluid from the motorwhen the fluid is shut off.

Threaded into the end of body 1 which projects into` the casing '3 is an annular clamp nut 20, which secures the periphery of a flexible diaphragm 21 against a shoulder 22 of the body 1. Said diaphragm constitutes a flexible valve seat with which oo operates a valve QBVhaving a stem 24k vpassing through a centra-l aperture of the flexible valve seat into the chamber 1, and provided with a pointed end 25 nearrthe end of valve stem 16. AA thimble 26* loosely Surrounds the stem 24: and is pressed againstthe diaphragm 21 by a spring 27 bearing against a lip 28 of the thimble and abutting .on a. shoulder 29 within the body4 1. vValve 23 has a head 30 which is normally pushed avvay from the flexi le seat- 21 by a spring 31 abutting on the clamp nut 2O ant, is held by the spring against an operating stud or rod Said stud or rod 32 may be operated by any one of a variety of means. 1n Fig. 1 it is moved against the tension of springs 31, 27, and 10 by a diaphragm contained inqa diaphragm chamber which is here made as structurally a part orp the casing 3. This diaphragm chamber has a threaded nipple 35 tor connection .vith pipe or container in which there is a pressure tluid. lin eX- haust tube leads from the nipple lllhen the under side of diaphragm relieved ot' pressure, tile spring 31 valve 33 and spring 10 cl ses valre 9, thereby interrupting the connection betvveen the inlet 1.7 and outlet 1S, and establishing communication bet'vveen such outlet and the eX- haust 19. llhen pressure is applied to diaphragm on its under side, the actuator stud and valve are raiser., iirst closing the valve against its flexible seat il and then bringing end ot stem 2l against the stem l movement ot `he dialo. Continu o. phragm in the same dire tion causes the valve Q3 to displace the ilexible scat Q1 and the stem 94 to raise and unseat the valve thereby establishing communie tion between the inlet 17 and outlet 1S after the communie cation bet veen outlet 18 and exhaust 19 has been closed. The combined length ot the stems 24- and 16 is slightly less than the distance betvveen the valve seat 11 and the valve seat 21, When the latter is in the normal position, ivhence the valve 23 must seat betore valve 9 can open.

lVhen the valves move in the opposite direction the spring .7.7 causes the valve seat 21 to tollovf valve remaining in contact vvith it until the seat brings up against the rigid nut 2G, which oceurs iunnediately atter the valve 9 has become seated. rEhe closing ot the valve 9 by spring 10 and opening ot valve by spring 31 are controlled by the recession or" the motive diaphragm 33 vvheu the pressure in the chamber 3d is relieved. rllhus it is ne mor possible to open the valve Q3 before valve seated, than it is to open valve 9 before valve is seated.

Valve seat 21 is pre ably made of rubber in order to be sutli ientlv flexible and to make Vfluid-tight contact Yvit The thimble 2G vvith its ila j QS and spring 2T make a tolloiver or backing or resilient abutment for the valve seat tl rough ivhich the pressure or" the spring Q7 is applied to said valve seat Without injury thereto. 1r" the valve seat could be made suiiiciently stift and at the same time sutliciently yielding for the required purposes, the spring 2T would be unnecessaryy but it is impracticable conmercially to obtain material tor a valve seat having these qualities not subject to ceterioration, for which reason it is a practical necessity to provide the spring 2T.

Likewise it asuiliciently tight fluid tight with respect to the Walls ot the body 6, the valve seat 21 in the torni of a diaphragm Would be unne-cessr-y But as this is not possible, I have adopted as the best form of seat or packing tor the valve the member 21 in the torni oit a flexible diaphragm tightly clamped at its ier'phery in contact with the body 1. Funetionally the follower 2G could be considered a yielding valve seat and the diaphragm 21 i or Washer to prevent leakage between the valve and seat.

made pointed as shovvn to obviate y of solid matter, such as sediment arried by the motive Huid, lodging between that stem and the stem 16 in such a vvay i range the working ot' the device.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the governor is used under the control of a thermostat, or in other vv'ords7 a temperature-governed controlling device. 1n this ligure a thermostat is represented at 3l', such thermostat having a valve chamber 38 to ivhich is attached a connect-ion from a supply pipe 39 carrying the motive iluid. and trom which leads a pipe O connected -with the nipple or inlet of the diaphragm chamber 35;. A valve is contained Within the chamber 38 ot' the thremostat adapted to be opened or closed so as to permit or prevent a tlovv of the liuid through the then inostat. Any thermostat adapted to operate a valve which Will govern the admission ot fluid to the nipple 35 may be used, since the particular character ot thermostat has no connection With the present invention. illustration my Patent ift, 1909 to The thermostat here shovvn for is substantially that shovvii in No. 934,116 granted September which reference may be had ii" an understanding of its construction and operation. el1 represents a by-pass running from the supply pipe 39 to the inlet connection 17 of the governor. T he outlet pipe 1S from the governor is connected y'ith a pipe 42 Which runs to the fluid operated motor controlled by this governor, which governor may be a diaphragm in a chamber 43 and arranged to act on the stem eilot a valve contained in a valve casing lllhen the thermostat so acts that the motive fluid acts on the diaphragm 33, the exhaust valve .13 is closed and the inlet valve 9 opened, allovving the motive luid to lloiv through the by-pass 41, inlet 17, past the valve 9, out through the outlet 18 and the connection @l2 to the motor 43, by Which it operates the valve. lhen the passage through the thermostat chamber 38 is closed, the pressure acting on diaphragm 33 is relieved by escape of the motive fluid through the exhaust outlet 36, whereupon the valves within the governor are moved in the opposite direction by their springs 10 and 13, valve 9 being closed and valve 23 being opened after the closing of valve 9. Then the fluid in the diaphragm chamber or motor 43 may be' relieved by escape of some of the fluid in the governor and connecting pipes through the exhaust pipe 19.

The exhaust 36 from the diaphragm chamber 34 is connected with a pipe 46 which has a stop cock 4T, whereby a constantly open leak or drip of regulated and limited amount is provided. The constantly open drip allows motive fluid to escape whenever the connection through the thermostat is shut off, but is at the same time so limited and restricted as to make the flow less rapid than the flow through the thermostat, whereby it does not prevent eflicient and prompt operation of the governor.

A thermostat is only one type of device for operating theA governor. Fig'. 3 represents diagrammatically the use of another forni of primary control device which is actuated by pressure. In this figure the pressure actuated device is a chamber 48 to which pressure uid passes through a pipe 49 and in which there is a movable member such as a diaphragm or piston acting on a lever 50, which in turn acts through a stem 51 corresponding to the stud 32, already described, and arranged to operate the valves in the governor. A by-pass 52 goes from the pipe 49 to the inlet of the governor, while the outlet 18 from the governor extends to a motor 53 in which there is a piston or other traveler carrying weights and having a. rod 54, which is joined by a wire or other flexible connector 55 with a damper or the like 56, which is operated by the motor. The governor or controller affords a means for effecting a more rapid admission of working fluid to the motor and a more rapid and sensitive actua-tion ofthe motor than could be eected by the thermostat or the primary control device alone. The bypass from the motive uid supply conducts the motive fluid in full volume and undiminished pressure directly to the governor, ready to pass through the latter to the motor whenever the governor is operated.

lFig. 4 indicates how the essential principles of the device may be embodied in a specifically different construction. Inthis figure the part corresponding to the body or central portion 1 is made as a diaphragm chamber, with a dished disk 1a attached to the flange 1b of a tubular casing 3a which incloses the exhaust chamber S. rlhe edges of the disk 1LL and flanges lbare clamped' together and between them is gripped the edge the diaphragm valve seat 21a.

.of a disk Swhich forms one wall of a diaphragm chamber and is secured to a complemental disk 59 forming the other wall of such chamber, which containsa diaphragm 33a corresponding to the diaphragm 33 in Fig. 1. rlhe diaphragm in each form of the invention is pressed upon by a spring G0, which assists in expelling the motive r fluid from the diaphragm chamber when the latter is inoperative.

The stem 61 which is pressed upon by diaphragm 33a is also the exhaust valve, and is formed with a shoulder 23a which constitutes the exhaust valve proper and is arranged to-pass through a central aperture in the support plate 20a and to seat against The upper end of the stem 61 is continued to forma stem 24a ycorresponding to the stem 24 in Fig. 1, by which the inlet valve is controlled.

There is one further difference between the construction of this form of the invention and that shown in Fig. 1, which consists in a connector G2 having threaded nipples, one of which is screwed into the central part of disk 1t and the other of which is screwed into the inlet valve casing 2t1 and carries the valve seat thimble 12a. ln ,all other respects this form of the device is identical with that shown in Fig. 1, and the corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, which are respectively modified by the exponent a,

The form of governor illustrated in F ig. 5 exhibits slight vmodifications in the. construction from the form illustrated in F ig. 4, the most important of which are provisions for adjusting the escape or exhaust valve and a construction of thc seat for said valve which resists wear and destruction of the seat. The exhaust valve 23b corresponds in function to the valve 23 of Fig. 1 and 23a of Fig. 1. It cooperates with a flexible seat composed of a diaphragm having a central aperture and clamped between the rims offa disk 11 and flange 1e. The rim of the aperture in the diaphragm 21b through which the stem 24b ofthe valve passes,.is reinforced vand strengthened by a bead 63 which takes the thrust of the valve `23b and greatly vdiminishes the tendency of the diaphragm to tear at the margin of the aperture. rlhe diaphragm is supported by the flangey 1e 0f the casing 3b, and by an inwardly projecting flange 64 which surrounds the valve 23', leaving' av central opening large enough"r to permit the valve and the fluid to pass freely.

This flange Gilperforms the function of the dist Q0, and being .termed as a part of the casing permits the elimination of one part and the simplification of the device to that extent.

The valve 23") instead of being formed as a part of the stem 6l, is adjustaloly mounted thereon, being provided with a threaded stem G5 which enters a threaded socket in the end oit' the stem (ill) whereby the valve is adjusted, and the adjustments are made permanent by a set screw 66. Evidently the adjustments thus permitted to the valve determine the sensitiveness of the device. The stems ul, '2l-h, and 16h are made ot noncircular outline so as not to obstruct the passages through which they extend, whereby they permit tree flow of the fluid.

Except Alior the particulars above noted the f :enstruction and arrangement ol: the parts shown in ig. 5 are equivalentand substantially identical with the construction and arrangement el corresponding parts in Figs. l and el. rEhe reference characters applied in F ig. 5 with the exponent b annexed designate the parts in this figure which correspond with parts designated by the same .numerals in the other figures. The fundamental principle present in all forms of the device herein illustrated and described is the same.

lllhat l claim and desire to secure by Letters latent is l. governor comprising a casing having an inlet, an outlet and an exhaust. arranged in the order named longitudinally oi the casing, a valve seat between the .inlet and the outlet, a second valve seat between the outlet and the exhaust, the outlet being between the two valve seats, two valves each coacting with one ot said valve seats and one of them having a stem projecting toward the other and adapted to be engaged therewith, vieliiling means tending to hold the valve between. the inlet and the out et against its seat, yielding means tending to hold the other valve away from its seat, and an act alor tor placing the. latter valve against its seat, the seat for the latter valve being yieldable in the closing direction whereby to permit continued movement of the cooperating valve sutlicient to open the irst valve.

2. A governor comprising a casing having an inlet, an outlet and an exhaust arranged in the order named longitudinally ot the casing, a valve seatbetween the inlet and the outlet, a second valve seat between .he outlet and the exhaust, the outlet being between the. two valve seats, tivo valves each co-acting with one of said valve seats and one of them having a stem projecting toward the other and adapted to be engaged therewith, yielding means tending to hold the valve between the inlet and the outlet against its seat, yielding means tending to hold the other valve away from its seat, and an actuator for placingy the latter valve against its seat, the seat for the latter valve eing yieldable in the closing direction whereby to pe mit continued movement of the cooperating valve suliicient to open the lirstif'alve, there being su'tlicient lost motion between the engaging points oi" the two valves to permit seating ot the one valve against its yielding seat betere the other valve is unseated.

Si goveri'ior comprising a casing i an inlet, an outlet and an exhaust ari-a longitudinally in the order named, an inlet valve and seat cooperating therewith between the inlet and the outlet, a spring tending to hold said valve against its seat, an exhaust valve and a complemental seat arranged between tlie outlet and the exhaust in such manner that the closing movement thereof is in the same direction as the opening movement oll the admission valve, said valves having stems projecting toward one another and ot a combined length equal approximately to trie oisl'ance between the valve seats, the exhaust valve being normally open and its seat being yieldable 'toward the admission valve, and an actuatorl arranged and operable to close Ythe exhaust valve and thereafter open the admission valve by continuing to move the exhaust valve with its seat after the same has become seated.

l. A governor comprising a casing, two valve seats in said casing spaced apart and facing in opposite directions, and an ad- .mission valve co-acting with one of said valve seats, an exhaust valve co-acting with the other valve seat, the casing having ports on opposite sides of both valve seats, the valves having .tems projecting toward one another of such length as to come into contact when both valves are seated, an actuator arranged to act upon one of the valves in the valve closing direction, and springs associated with both valves tending to move them in the omiiosite directions, one of the valve seats being movable against a yvield- 'ing resistance with its complemental valve in the closing` direction.

5. A governor comprising a casing, two valve seats in said casing spaced apart and facing in opposite directions, and an admission valve (3o-acting with one of said valve seats, an exhaust valve (3o-acting with the other valve seat, the casing having` ports on opposite sides of both valve seats, the valves having stems projecting toward one another of such length as to come into contact when both the valves are seated, an actuator arranged to act upon one of the valves in the valve closing direction, ancL springs associated with both valves tending to move them in the opposite directions, one of the valve seats being movable against a yielding resistance with its complemental valve in the closing direction, the movable valve seat being a flexible diaphragm secured at its periphery in a fluid tight manner to the casing and having an aperture through which the stem of the complemental valve passes, the face of the diaphragm adjacent to said aperture being that part of the seat which coacts with the valve.

6. A governor' for motive fluid comprisingl a valve casing, a diaphragm crossing said Casing, connections for external communication with said casing at opposite sides of said diaphragm, a valve arranged to seat against such diaphragm and having a stem passing through the diaphragm, a second valve having a. stem extending toward and engageable by the stem of' the first named valve, a seat with which said second valve co-aets located between the second valve and the diaphragm, and a third connection for external communication with the casing arranged on the other side of the second valve from the connections previously mentioned, such diaphragm being yielding and adapted to follow the valve with which it co-acts during part of the movements of that valve.

7. In a governor having inlet andoutlet openings and a valve between such Openings,

a flexible valve seat arranged to Cooperate with said valve and being movable with the valve, said seat being a diaphragm having an aperture and said valve being arranged to ,lie over such aperture, the diaphragm having a bead surrounding the aperture and providing the seating surface for the valve.

S. A governor comprising a casing having an inlet, outlet, and an exhaust, a valve seat and a valve interposed between the inlet and the outlet, a second valve seat and a second valve interposed between the outlet and the exhaust, said valves being' movable in approximately the same line and one 0f them having a stem extending toward the other and adapted to transmit movement from one valve to the other, the valve seats being on relatively opposite sides of the valve with which they respectively coperate, and one of the valve seats being yieldingly movable in the closing direction with the coperating valve, and means for limiting' the movement of said valve seat in the opening direction of movement of the said coperating valve.

In testimony whereof l have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. VVELD. Vitnesses ARTI-Inn H. BROWN, P. W. Pnzznrrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

